Method of making impellers



2 1930- I e. 1. FERGUSON ,7 ,7

METHOD ornuxx'me IIIPBLLERS Filed Jan. 25, 1928 I N VEN TOR.

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Patented Jan. 28, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

GALE L. FERGUSON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY IVIESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO AUTO PRIME PUMP COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO METHOD OF MAKING IMPELLERS Application filed January 25, 192a. Serial No. 249,343.

The presentinvention relates, as indicated, to an impeller for rotary pumps, and more particularly to an improved impeller of the type disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 174,251, filed March 10, 1927. The primary object of the invention is to provide an impeller of the class described which will be more efficient in its operation than other types of impellers and which will provide a higher pressure or suction for a given size without a corresponding increase in power consumption. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends. said invention, then, consists of the means ht. reinafter fully described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detailcertain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexeddrawing: V

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fragment of an impeller of improved design: Fig. 2 is a plan View of said fragment; and Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of the impeller blank and cutter during one step in the process of manufacturing the same.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates an impeller having a thickened peripheral portion 2. In the'portion 2 buckets 3 and 3' are formed, said buckets opening through oppositesides of the impeller. It will be noted that alternate buckets open through opposite sides of the impeller at staggered points.

As is clearly shown in Fig. 2, the side walls 4 of the buckets 3 meet the plane of the face 5 of the impeller at the same acute angle, while the side walls 4 of, the buckets 8' meet the. plane of the opposite face 6 at the same acute angle. The front corners 7 of the buckets 3 and the front corners 7 of the buckets 3' are rounded as is clearly shown in.

Fig. 2. It will further be noted that the botv I tom'wall 8 and the back wall 9 of each bucket q form together a continuous arc of a circle.

The above described design for an impeller has been foundmaterially to increase the efficiency thereof. The impeller is adapted to rotate in a clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 1 between a pair of impeller rings such as are disclosed in my copending application hereinbefore identified, the thickened portion 2 of the impeller being received in a channel formed by said rings. The round corners 7 and 7 permit the fluid in the channel to enter the buckets Without such swirling as would be caused by sharp corners, and the fact that the buckets are inclined rearwardly from their outer to their inner ends obviously increases the scooping effect of said buckets. The fluid is discharged peripherally from the impeller, and it will be apparent that the smooth curve formed by the walls 8 and 9 of the buckets increases the centrifugal throw of the impeller exerted upon the fluid.

In the manufacture of the impeller, a rotating disk-like cutter 10 is forced into the impeller blank, the plane of the cutter forming an acute angle 11 with the face of the impeller blank. During the cut, the horizontal diameter 12 of the cutter 10 is held in tangential relation with the periphery 13 of the impeller blank. Because of this particular setting of the cutter 10 with respect to the impeller blank, the upper end of the rear wall 9 forms a right angle with the peripheral plane of the impeller so that the fluid is thrown outwardly along a line exactly perpendicular to the peripheral surface of the impeller. The cutting operation is repeated at equally spaced points about the periphery of the impeller until the required number of buckets 3 haverbeen formed. Then the impeller is reversed, and the cutter is forced into the face 6 thereof to form the buckets 3'.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention maybe employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my'inventionz 1. In a method of manufacturing. a rotary pump impeller, the step which consists in forcing a disk-like cutter into one plane face of an impeller blank, the plane of said cutriphery of said blank at all times during the ter forming an acute angle with said blank completion of the above steps.

- face during the cutting, but a vertical line in Signed by me this 23rd day of January,

a face of said cutter being parallel to said 1928.

blank face! A GALE L. FERGUSON.

2. In a method of manufacturing a rotary pump impeller, A the step which consists in forcing a disk-likecutter into one face of an impeller blank, the plane of said cutter form- 10 ing an acute angle with a plane face of said impeller blank during the cutting.

3. In a method of manufacturing a rotary pump impeller, the steps which consist in forcing a disk-like cutter into one face of an 5 impeller blank at equally spaced points about the rim of said blank, the plane of said cutter forming the same acute angle with a planeface of said impeller blank during all the cutting.

2 4. In a method of manufacturing a rotary 35 pump impeller, the steps which consist in forcing a disk-like cutter into one face of an impeller blank, the plane of said cutting forming an acute angle with said face dur- 25 ing the cutting, and forcing a disk-like cutter into the opposite face of said blank at a point slightly spaced from the point of entry of said first cut, the plane of said cutterforming the same acute angle with said opposite face 30 during the cutting.

5. In a method of manufacturing a rotary pump impeller, the steps which consist in forcing a disk-like cutter into one face of an impeller blank at equally spaced points about 35 the rim of said blank, the plane of said cutter forming the same acute angle with said face during all the cutting, and forcing .a disklike cutter into the opposite face of said blank at points spaced apart a like distance, but

40 staggered with respect to said first points,

said cutter forming the same acute angle with said opposite face during all the cutting.

' 6. In a method of manufacturing a rotary ump impeller, the step which consists in 4 forcing a disk-like cutter into one face of an impeller blank, the plane of said cutter forming an acute angle with said face during the cutting, and a diameter of said cutter being held tangential with respect to the periphery 50 of said blank.

7. In a method of manufacturing a rotary pump impeller, the steps which consist in forcing a disk-like cutter into one face of an impeller blank at equally spaced points about the rim of said blank, the plane of said cutter forming the same acute angle with said face during all the cutting, and forcing a disklike cutter into the opposite face of said blank 60 at points spaced apart a like distance but staggered with respect to said first points, said cutter forming the same acute angle v with said opposite face during all the cutting, and the horizontal diameter of said cutter 05 being held tangential with respect to the pe- 

